Are there dragons on Mount Pilatus in Switzerland?

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A medieval legend claims that there are dragons with healing powers living on Mount Pilatus in Switzerland.

Apparently, once upon a time, there was a young man who was in danger around the mountain, but was rescued by a dragon. Today, one can see the logo of the legendary red dragon at the Pilatus Railway Station.

Way back in 1868, Queen Victoria reached the top of Mount Pilatus on horseback. The queen was reportedly very impressed by the breathtaking view, so I thought it would be great if we could see it for ourselves too.

Who knows, we might even get the chance to meet the legendary dragon!

We arrived in Lucerne in the evening and took a train from Lucerne Railway Station to Alpnachstad, where Pilatus is, the next day. The train journey was under 20 minutes.

There are two ways to visit the mountain; we followed something called the “silver round trip”. We took the Pilatus cogwheel train to reach the top, came down by cable cars and gondolas, and took a bus back to Lucerne.

The Pilatus railway is reputedly the steepest cogwheel railway in the world.

The “golden round trip” would include a boat ride from Lucerne to Alpnachstad.

The Pilatus railway, reputedly the world’s steepest cogwheel railway, still runs on the original tracks built in 1898. On board the cogwheel train, we crossed an impressive landscape with alpine trees and meadows. There were even a few goats hanging around.

We went to the observation deck at the top of the mountain to get a better view of the surroundings. It was truly spectacular. We then climbed the two peaks next to the station. The first peak was relatively easy but the second one was much higher, thus more difficult for us, particularly my wife. But she just paced herself slowly and step by step, we managed to reach both peaks together.

The Alhambra mirror maze at the Glacier Garden Museum in Lucerne.

After lunch at Lucerne, we went on a city orientation tour. We visited the Old Chapel Bridge, the oldest bridge in Switzerland. We explored the Old Town’s cobbled stone alleys and saw the Lion Monument. Next to the it was the Glacier Garden Museum, which had glacier potholes dating back to the Ice Age.

However, the highlight for us at the museum was the Alhambra mirror maze, that required us to walk out from a fantastic maze filled with mirrors all around. We were laughing and giggling trying to find our way out. There was a group of local school children there and they too were having fun.

In the evening, we checked out World Cafe located in the KKL building, a mere stone’s throw from the Lucerne Railway Station.

At the cafe, I ordered stewed fish with rice and my wife ordered curry chicken with rice. The food was good and delicious. After a few days of heavy and salty Alpine regional food fare, we were finally able to get some familiar tastes. This gave us a healthier appetite and we ordered some desserts to finish our meal.

Did we see the dragons? No. But I do have a Pilatus railway pass with the logo of the famous dragon on it.

The views expressed are entirely the reader’s own.

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